Rebirth
by Lockeandkey87
Summary: Robin, after giving up his life as a superhero with the Titans, recieves an invitation to join the Justice League.  The story of how he, along with various other characters [crossovers from XMen Evolution and Naruto], decide to handle the decisions. R&R!
1. Notices

Okay, this is my first fic for this place. It's a crossover with Naruto, though not (IMHO) idiotically like many crossovers tend to be. Please read and review!!!

**CHAPTER 1: Notices**

Location Unknown

Dick Grayson blinked. The invitation was, in all probability, legitimate, but he couldn't help feeling a certain sense of paranoia about it. He'd spent years, almost a decade training for this. Now, after he had given up for so long, he had a chance at attaining his dream. He had been invited, along with the other Titans, to join the Justice League.

It took a while for the message to sink in, and he didn't dare break the news to the others before he understood it fully. Before him, he held a small, but powerful letter from his old mentor, Batman, one of the few remaining JL members left on Earth. It said that, pending a demonstration of ability, the Titans were invited to become a part of the Justice League due to the recent loss of a large number of members. Dick remembered the incident well, when he, Raven, and Cyborg had cried over the graves of their fallen friends. The same night that Batman lost his left arm, the Green Lantern at the time was struck blind, and Superman was struck down for good. The day Cell had destroyed over half the JL garrison, along with numerous heroes across the globe. Finally, he was taken down by a boy no older than Dick was at the time, who even now remained unnamed. Rumors flew around that he was a Russian woodcutter, a Japanese martial artist, and a British spy, but it all amounted to the same thing. He had saved the world with his immense power, then disappeared, leaving the world almost helpless and almost heroless. The Justice League tried to keep up, and did so fairly well for almost three years. But over extension soon began to take its toll, as more and more heroes either fell or resigned from the pressure. Even the Titans disbanded after many months of intense overexertion.

So now, the Justice League was recruiting from its affiliate organizations and outside sources alike. The note from Batman said that many others had been notified as well, and that all interested parties were to gather in South Africa in one month. It was, to say the least, a strange request, and would take a great amount of effort from any who chose to participate.

Dick slid the letter on the table before him, and turned to his closet. Opening it carefully, he wasn't completely surprised when several moths flew out into the open light. He hadn't, after all, opened this particular door in two years. On the reverse side of the door hung a picture in a dusty, wooden frame. He toyed with the idea of purposely not looking, but he knew he couldn't resist. Wiping away the dust, he stared at the only picture of Starfire he had ever taken, her beautiful visage staring with fixed curiosity at the camera. He smiled and, despite himself, ran his fingers across the photo, remembering her amazement at such a 'wondrously imaginative device.' He still visited her grave, from time to time, but could never bring himself to look at her face, even though it was just on the other side of the door.

However, the photo wasn't what he was after. Hanging from the rack, torn and tattered, was his uniform. He wasn't completely surprised that the moths had found a way to eat even the fire resistant fabric to shreds, and less amazed that it was, after a year long growth spurt. Of course he hadn't felt the need to have it altered any more. Robin retired a long time ago, after all. Suddenly, a thought struck him. Why had he so quickly decided to go? Why had he assumed so quickly that the others would go as well? Sitting on the small, broken bed which sat in the center of the room, he grasped his head in his hands. The Titans were done! Robin was done! He had given up after losing her and Beast Boy, so why had he jumped so quickly on the opportunity to get back in the game? He knew he missed it, that was obvious, but he apparently hadn't known how much. He knew, no matter how much he wanted to hold onto his peace, it was only an act for his own selfish angst. He was a Titan, from the bottom of his heart, his only desire in life was to be the hero he had been raised to be. But at the same time, as he gazed up at the ripped and eaten suit he had once worn, he knew that Robin had died as he held Starfire dead in his arms. Standing, he slammed the door to his closet shut, and turned to leave. He knew where to go, for once in his life; he was going to Gotham City.

Village of Konoha

"Lee-kun!" Haruno Sakura poked the young bob-haired boy in the back, smiling at him. The girl's pink hair brushed against his cheek as she grabbed him around the neck, embracing him softly from behind.

"Sakura-san . . ." he muttered, blushing rather profusely with the vigor of youth. Barely able to think, let alone answer, he stood motionless, accepting the hug with nothing more than a throaty stammering and a very, very wide grin.

"You've been gone for so long! I thought that mission would never end!" added Sakura, reveling in the effect she had on him. Rock Lee's one great weakness, she and everyone else knew, was Sakura. Letting go of his neck, she walked around to stand in front of him, still smiling. Pointing down at his hands, and the envelope therein, she cocked her head to the left and raised one eyebrow.

"What is that, anyway?" she asked, looking at the letter intensely. It bore the symbol of the Justice League, a very powerful foreign syndicate, and seemed rather ominous.

"An invitation," replied Lee, suddenly very aware of the important message he carried. "I"m sorry, I can't talk right now. I need to get this to Tsunade-sama." Sakura laughed openly, and pulled at his sleeve happily.

"Then I'll walk with you! I have to see her too, after all."

"A . . . alright," said Lee, placing the letter very carefully in his pocket. "So how has Konoha been doing?" he asked, in a feeble attempt to divert her attention from the invitation.

"Just fine," she answered, momentarily relieving Lee. "But I still want to know where you got something from the Justice League! Did you meet some of them on the mission?"

"Well . . . yes. I was sent to meet them, actually." Lee, seeing no reason to hide anything from Sakura, sighed and spoke softly, to avoid unnecessary security leaks. "I was sent to Metropolis . . ."

"I've never heard of it," interjected Sakura, walking sideways now, eyes focused hard on Lee. Her curiosity was boiling over now, and she couldn't help but smile.

"It's a gigantic city, far away from this continent. It's in a place called America. I sailed for four weeks before I got there. Anyway, I was sent there to speak with someone named Superman. When I arrived, I found out that he had been killed, over three years ago. In fact, when I said that I hadn't heard, the boy I was speaking with seemed shocked, and called me an idiot. Apparently, this Superman was an international superstar! I'm not sure why the Hokage wanted me to talk with him, but the closest I could come was a young woman named Supergirl."

"Weird names," Sakura mused, after shifting directly in front of Lee, walking backwards, forcing people to jump to avoid her.

"Yeah, but not all of them. Well, I found this Supergirl, and told her what Tsunade-sama wanted me to tell Superman, that Konoha was looking for outside trade agreements with other continents, and not just the nations on this one. So she said she'd speak with her superiors, and then come to visit here. I waited for two weeks for her to get a response. During that time, she and I were attacked by a really odd type of ninja, using shuriken so fast I couldn't see them, and they made such terrible noises! We were able to fight them off eventually, though. Supergirl was a wonderful fighter! She could even fly." Sakura's eyes lit up at this, and she stopped cold to listen to the rest. "Well, she was impressed by my fire of youth!" Lee's eyes burned with power and confidence as he lifted his fist into the air, holding the envelope, "And she gave me this, an invitation for me, and other strong shinobi from this village to join the Justice League!"

"Unreal!" Sakura screamed, hugging herself and leaping back. "That's amazing! Did you accept!?"

"Not yet," said Lee, calming down, "I need to go to Tsunade-sama first, and then we don't meet for another month. I'll have to train hard for this! Supergirl said there will be a test of ability to make sure I'm fit for it!" Sakura grinned, unable to keep back the excitement, and turned around hurriedly. Taking off toward the Hokage's tower, she looked back at Lee.

"Come on!!! We need to go see her now!!!" The pair began down the street with renewed vigor, and soon took to leaping among the rooftops. They passed street after street, rushing like the wind through the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Suddenly, though, Sakura stopped. Lee, noticing her absence, paused as well, but Sakura motioned for him to go on. Nodding, but confused, he leapt forward again, back on his path to the Hokage.

Sakura, however, stayed perfectly still, staring down into the street. Though it was full of people, she couldn't help but notice two very familiar faces. Uzamaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata, walking hand in hand, were exiting the local dress-makers shop. She grinned, noticing the black garment bag Naruto had slung over his shoulder, and the faint blush on Hinata's face. Even now, engaged to him, she blushed like that when she was happy. It made Sakura giggle to watch them together, Naruto always laughing loudly, shouting his ambitions to the world, while his loving wife-to-be held his arm, happier than she had ever been.

"Sakura." The kunoichi flinched, knowing she'd been caught spying, and turned slowly. Behind her, Hatake Kakashi stood calmly, watching the couple over her shoulder. Tall and thin, the Jounin moved his gaze down to the girl, and smiled. "I'm glad they're getting married," he said quietly, smiling invisibly behind his permanent mask.

"Yeah, so am I. He needed someone like her." Kakashi nodded, and sat down beside her.

"Have you seen Lee-kun yet? He came back a little while ago." He motioned up toward the Hokage's office, "Headed over to see Hokage-sama, I think."

"Yeah," she affirmed, "I saw him already. I was going with him, actually, but . . ."

"You got caught up spying on Naruto?" Sakura blushed, and nodded slowly. The jounin laughed, and nodded toward Tsunade's office again. "I think they're waiting for you," he said.

"Ah," she replied, standing again, and running off toward Lee and the Hokage. As she flashed off, Kakashi moaned, rubbing his forehead.

"Not even a goodbye. Sometimes I think they don't like me."

Gotham City

Dick wasn't sure what to say, standing on Bruce Wayne's doorstep. He'd been gone for years, but he wasn't entirely sure that would offend him. On the other hand, on his way out, he'd been rather angry and offensive toward his mentor. Still, he couldn't let that stop him. He needed help, and Bruce was the only one who could give that to him right now. Pressing his finger on the doorbell, he waited, wondering if this really was the best decision. Soon, though, the door swung open, and an elderly man, severely balding (presumably from the considerable stress of his position), stood before him.

"Master Dick, it's been a while," said Alfred, as warmly as he ever had when Dick was just a boy.

"Hello Alfred," replied the younger man, brushing his shaggy hair away from his face. "I'm surprised you remembered me." He chuckled softly, knowing that he had disappointed Alfred as much as the owner of the house.

"In my line of work, I meet so very few good people. I like to remember them," said the butler, laughing with more gusto than Dick had. "I'm so glad to see you again, sir." Dick raised his hand, shrugging off the honorific.

"You don't need to call me that, Alfred. I don't live here anymore." Again, the old man laughed, and motioned for him to come inside.

"One moment then, mister Grayson, while I fetch Master Bruce."

It was a cold few minutes in the drawing room of Wayne manner. He thought idly of the first time he had been here, how excited he'd been to have such a wonderful home. He also thought, with a great deal more regret, how he'd grown to hate the place, and the constant rules and orders from Bruce. He longed for the early years, the simplicity and happiness of being just a boy, and not the Boy Wonder.

"Dick!" Bruce shouted, clapping him on the back with his remaining hand. On the billionaire's left side, a short nub shot out for balance. "I'm so glad you came to visit." Dick, his face colder than he meant it to be, stared at his mentor.

"I'm sorry, Bruce, but I'm not here to visit." He realized too late how dark and terse he sounded; the levity was gone from Bruce's face instantly. The hand was off his back, and back in the pocket it normally occupied.

"I figured," he replied, his voice no longer that of the jovial Bruce Wayne. He was Batman now, and he motioned toward the tall grandfather clock in the middle of the back wall. Dick walked to it, and slid the hands of the clock into position, causing it to slide to one side, opening the door to the bat cave. As both men began their decent down the stairs, Batman grunted, and leaned his head back.

"Why are you here, then, if I can ask?"

"I need help. I've decided to take you up on your offer, but I can't get ahold of any new equipment, let alone a new suit." Dick blushed lightly, and thanked every deity in every religion that he had his back to Bruce.

"Hm," Bruce sighed, "I suppose you can use one of the older suits. Tim's was a bit bigger than your last one, I think." Dick didn't like hearing about his replacement, but that was the least of his problems right now.

"No," he said, quietly, "I'm not Robin anymore, you know that."

"I suppose you're right. Well, how about one of my older suits? Paint it all you like. Noone will know the difference." Dick wasn't happy with this, either, but it was a much better option.

"Fine." They reached the end of the stairs, and found themselves in a large, dark cave, heavily laden with computers and gadgets of every imaginable type and design. But it was far off to the right that Dick was interested in. There, a long line of glass tubes extended from floor to ceiling, each containing a different suit. Each with a different design and function, it was an amazing sight to behold. His eyes, against his will, were drawn far to the left, where his own, original costume rested. He was amazed he could ever fit into those small, red tights, but he had, hadn't he? It was a surreal experience, being back in his own personal hell, and feeling so damned nostalgic about it. But that wasn't the suit he wanted. He walked down the line, stopping momentarily to inspect each piece, until he found the one he needed. It was simple, a solid black pattern, with small metal pauldrons on each shoulder, and a simple metallic utility belt.

"Bruce," he called off to the old man, who had apparently taken to checking the computer for any particularly heinous break-in or murder. Once he looked up, Dick asked, "Can I have this one?" Bruce nodded, smiling.

"I thought that would be the one!" He laughed lightly, fading back into Bruce Wayne mode, "I never wore that one!" Dick hadn't realized it himself, but that _was_ why he'd chosen this particular suit.

"Then it's perfect," he smirked sarcastically. Bruce walked over, and clapped him on the back again, with much more mirth this time.

"Well, it's yours." They both stared at it, if only for a minute, before Bruce leaned in close to his young protegee. "It is nice to have you back, if only for a bit."

"I can't say it's horrible being here," Dick smiled, "but I can't stay long. I need to go visit a few people."


	2. New Lives

Alright, the second part. Notice that Robin and Sakura are quickly developing as the leads, not that I'm promising any romantic interaction. For those who want romanticism, it will come, trust me. Please read and review, as I'm pretty new to creative writing.

PS, any continuity errors or the like, just let me know. I haven't noticed any, but I'm far from perfect. Thanks in advance!

**CHAPTER 2: New Lives**

Village of Konoha

Sakura knocked on the Hokage's door, hoping that she wasn't too late to see her meeting with Lee. Fortunately, when the door swung open, she saw both of them standing on opposite sides of Tsunade's large wooden desk, fervently discussing the envelope which lay upon it.

"Hokage-sama, Haruno Sakura is here." Blond hair swirling, the highest official in Konoha turned angrily to the young woman before her, and, for lack of an actual word to describe the fearsome sound, growled.

"What was so important that you allowed something like this to come unescorted across the entire village!?" she screamed, walking quickly up to Sakura, who could do nothing but stare at the floor. She knew her reason wasn't going to cut it, so she kept quiet. Fortunately, for what seemed the hundredth time, Lee came to her rescue.

"Hokage-sama, I'm sure Sakura only had to use the restroom." Tsunade again turned, this time toward the young man. Sakura could only feel pity for him. Once again, his chivalry would undo him, and there was nothing he could do to same himself.

"Don't defend her, little boy. She is my apprentice, and I expect a great deal from someone in that position. She has responsibilities to this village, do you understand that!?" Lee nodded, and looked off at the floor. Sakura flinched a little. As much as he loved this village, to be rebuked so painfully; treated so harshly by its leader was, at the very least, unbearable. She felt horrible, to have to watch, and know that he would probably blame her.

"You shouldn't yell at the boy." It came from the window behind them, but noone had to look. Kakashi's little interruptions were commonplace to them now. "I happened across Sakura in the shopping district. She was watching Naruto and his fiancee." Sakura fully expected Tsunade to scream again, either at herself or Kakashi, but it never came. In fact, the revelation seemed to soften the Hokage, who turned to the man in the window, and smiled. Of all things, smiled!

"Well, I suppose I can forgive a little spying on her ex-boyfriend," she laughed, glancing knowingly at her.

_My what?_ Sakura thought, mouth agape. _What's that little punk been saying behind my back!? I'll kill him!_

"After all," Tsunade continued, "He is getting married soon. She has to be a little jealous." By now, every eye in the room was on Sakura, who could do nothing but stand and sweat. Well, not every eye. Lee had turned his face to the floor, not daring to turn completely away, but still unable to bring himself to look at her.

_It's not true!_ she screamed inside, watching him, _don't believe her! It's not true!_ Fearing that she might begin to cry, she turned away as well, flushed with anger.

"Look, she's even blushing!" Kakashi laughed, sitting down on the windowsill. "But, there was something important to discuss? I'm afraid I can't waste too much time."

"Why?" Tsunade asked coldly, "More porn to read?" Kakashi decided not to answer, which was probably wise, given her current mood. "Fine. Sakura, come here. I want you to be a part of this." Sakura obeyed, though with obvious reluctance. She was furious with her master, and wasn't about to forget how she'd been humiliated in front of her friend. Especially since Lee still wasn't looking at her.

So the group quietly gathered around the table, on the center of which the message still sat. Calmly, Tsunade lifted it up, and looked from person to person.

"This is an invitation, meant mainly for Lee, but it stipulates that people of comparable skill are welcome as well. The invitation is to a mass meeting of people with exceptional talents, hosted by the Justice League." Kakashi, the only one who hadn't heard this yet, let out a low whistle. "I'm sure you all grasp the significance of this. A power far greater than any Hidden Village has been crippled, and is asking for assistance from people like us. This doesn't constitute a contract like we're used to, but I still feel it's a matter worth investigating. As far as I know, we are the only village to receive an invitation like this. As such, I'd like to send a small team to take a look at this matter. Because it calls for those of 'exceptional' ability, I'd like to send only strong, at least Chunin level, people." Motioning at Kakashi and Sakura, she continued, "I'd like you two, and probably one more, to accompany Lee to the meeting." The two nodded, they'd seen that coming.

"Who's the fourth?" asked Sakura, deciding to momentarily forgo her anger. Tsunade shook her head.

"I'm not sure yet. Another Jounin, I'm sure. Two for something like this, it would have to be." So the discussion continued, with Tsunade explaining the possible meanings of the message, and contingency plans for the infiltration team. As the plan was unfolded before her, Sakura began to worry. Maybe this was too much for her.

Gotham City

Luckily, Dick didn't have to take a plane halfway across the country this time, and it only took about forty minutes in a cab to get across Gotham to his next destination. Carrying his new suit in a black briefcase, he exited the taxi, paying the driver, and waited for it to pull away before continuing. Once it was gone, he turned to the large windowed shop behind him. Above the door, a half-broken neon sign blinked _Azarath Booksellers _in the night, many of the letters not working. The windows were filled with novels and other tomes, from popular fiction to new-age witchcraft manuals. He laughed lightly at the irony of the latter, but decided that mentioning it to the owner might be inadvisable.

Uncertain, he took a slow step toward the door, which sat old and rusted on its hinges, and grasped the handle. If he went in, he'd really be committing to his decision. But if he didn't, what would happen? He was raised to be a hero, but wasn't it time he moved on? And how could he even be sure anyone would want him?

"This is stupid," he muttered, dropping his case onto the cold cement, and loosening his grip on the handle. "We gave up, we split up. I shouldn't be here . . ." He trailed off, staring at the ground before him. So engrossed in his own thoughts, he didn't even notice the footsteps coming from the other side of the door. When the bell rang, as the door opened, he looked up startled.

"Robin?" Whether it was the calm voice, or that she used his old name so happily that called him back to reality, he wasn't sure. Either way, he frowned, staring as Raven opened the door for him, and motioned for him to come inside. She looked different, of course, her hair was far longer than he'd ever seen it, and she wore normal clothing; plain black jeans and a red t-shirt. But it was her. Her pale skin seemed even lighter under the street lamps, but her hair and eyes seemed darker than ever. Dick could barely look at her. She looked great, not like he did, shaggy and broken. How could he have ever thought she'd want to go with him? She owned her own shop, and seemed to be doing well. Despite the broken sign, there were quite a few people milling around the shelves inside. She even _looked_ happy here. He was a fool. Glancing down at his case, and the proof of his ridiculous decision inside, he gritted his teeth.

"Robin!" Raven repeated, stepping closer to examine his face, "It is you!" Dick looked up, finally, and met her eyes. She was grinning far wider than he'd ever known her to, and he was only half-surprised when she threw her arms around him. "I've missed you! You don't return our calls, you know!" He did know, and couldn't bring himself to say anything. The warmer his welcome got, the more uncomfortable he became, each new courtesy reminding him of what he had come to take away from her.

"Hello," he finally stammered, unable to stop staring at her eyes.

"Are you alright?" she asked, taking him by the arms. Leaning in, concerned, she pulled him inside the shop slowly. "Victor!" she called out, while telekinetically tossing Robin's briefcase inside the door. Across the room, a tall, black man rose to his feet, and walked toward them. Dick couldn't identify him immediately, but the name began to sink in. Victor. Victor Stone. Cyborg. His cybernetic implants were gone, or mostly. His left eye was still artificial, and most of his body was covered, so Dick wasn't sure what else was left. Most of his face, though, had been returned to its natural state. He'd even given up what made him special, what made him a hero. _They really did give up_, thought Dick, _I shouldn't be here at all._

"Yo!" Trevor shouted, patting Dick on the back when he was close enough, "Where the heck you been, man?" Pointing at his regenerated face, he grinned, "You like the new work? Almost all of me is done now! Goodbye cyberfreak, you know?" Dick smiled, falsely as it may have been. He could at least seem happy to see them like this. Shaking off Raven's arms, he stood tall, and looked around the room.

"Looks like you two are doing pretty well for yourselves!" he said, looking back at them.

"Oh, ain't mine, man," Trevor laughed, pointing at Raven, "It's all Rae's. I just came in to fix her computer. Don't know how the wifey would feel about me spending that much time with another woman." Dick moved his mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. He'd always assumed, after BB had fallen, that they would wind up together.

"You're . . . married?" he said, eyes wide, "To who?"

"Well, you introduced us, man!" the larger answered, moving toward the nearest chair,"You remember Barbara Gordon, don't you?"

"You . . . married . . . Batgirl?" He knew enough to keep his voice quiet, but the shock still came through. Forgetting his apprehension, he quickly sat down next to his old friend, and was soon joined by Raven, as Trevor regaled them with the tale of his romance.

"I'm not sure how I feel about her still running around with Batman, though," he said, after almost an hour, "And of course, there's the new Robin . . ." he cut himself off, not sure how Dick would feel about his replacement.

"It's fine," he said, sensing the tension, "I like Tim. Good kid, but a bit green." The others nodded, apparently they'd met him already. "I'm not Robin anymore, anyway." Nodding again, though slowly, Raven and Trevor knew the story. They'd been there, after all. "Which is why I've got a problem."

"Hm?" Raven looked up, apparently she'd gotten lost in memory. Dick lifted his case onto the seat beside him, and popped it open. Inside, atop the dark fabric of his new suit, sat his invitation. Taking it, he turned it over immediately to Raven. Staring at the JL's symbol on the front, she didn't need to open it.

"You're going back?" She looked at him, worried. "I thought . . . after Starfire . . ." He nodded, staring coldly at the table in front of him.

"I can't keep away anymore. You don't know what it's like for me. I can't just go back to a normal life." Quietly, he looked up at his old friends, who had both taken to staring at the ground.

"You . . ." started Trevor, "You came to see if we'd go with you, right?" Raven stared at him coldly, but turned her eyes to Dick.

"Yeah," he muttered, "But I know you won't, now that I see you. So, it's more of a goodbye at this point." Standing, he closed his case again, and hefted it up. "I really do hope you can live happily here." He glanced around the shop again, smiling, "You deserve it, you know?" Neither of the other two could bring themselves to speak as he walked out the door. Raven still held the invitation in her hand, but she doubted he'd need it.

"Idiot," she whispered, pulling her knees up to her chest, sobbing a little.

"Yeah, he is. Thinking we would go! After our best friends died . . . Idiot!"

"I meant me."


	3. Broken

**Tada! The miraculously sad third part of my story, "Rebirth." Oddly enough, Dick doesn't play a part in this chapter. Either way, I do introduce a few new characters; see if you can guess who the third main character is going to be! I warn you, this isn't a happy thing to read, so . . . don't expect humor. I like to write it, but at this point in the story, it would be out of place. Anyway, enjoy Chapter three. Please, for god's sake, R&R!!!! **

**PS-I know I lack a bit of character description in the earlier chapters. If you're not familiar with the other shows, let me know, and I'll think about adding more. I'm generally not into CD, because I like to let it up to the reader's imagination. However, with this, the characters are predefined, so I'm not sure exactly how to handle it. Thanks in advance!**

Chater 3: Broken

**The Village of Konoha**

Sakura spent most of the next week training with Tsunade, as she always did. However, instead of following her master constantly, the young woman decided that their practice sessions were enough, and disappeared quickly after each one. The Hokage, having known the girl for several years now, noticed this quickly. For a while, she merely assumed she was off on some new project, as she was prone to do. But as the pattern continued, the great leader grew increasingly concerned with her apprentices absences. Deciding to check up on her star pupil, she made up her mind to keep Sakura late tonight.

"Sakura," called the Hokage, lightly grasping the girls arm as she moved to open the door, "May I talk to you for a bit?"

"Of course," replied Sakura tersely. Tsunade noted the tone, and lead her down the hall, to a small lounge for the clerical staff. Luckily, it was empty, so they were able to find a pair of secluded seats off in a corner.

"Sakura, you've been awfully short, even angry lately. Can I ask what's bothering you?" The elder leaned forward, smiling softly at her protegee. Shaking her head, Sakura leaned back, not really looking at Tsunade.

"I'm fine," she lied, folding her arms.

"I'd prefer if you didn't lie to me," said Tsunade, the caring grin gone from her face. In its place sat a particularly vicious scowl. "I've got an entire village to run. I don't need lip like that from a little girl."

"It's that," shot Sakura, much angrier than she'd ever openly been with her leader, "every time I do something you don't like, or make a mistake, you humiliate me! You always have to shout how important you are, and then make me feel like dirt!" She was shouting now, and rose to her feet. "Naruto told me that you didn't even want to come and be Hokage! And now you bring up your title at every chance you get, just to bring everyone else's ego down! And . . ." She cut herself off, though; anything else would be a bit much.

"Go on," whispered Tsunade. She was seething, obviously, but managing to keep herself under control. "Say it. I want to know." Trying in vain to regain composure, she folded her hands in front of her, and took a few deep breaths.

"You . . ." Most of the steam had gone from Sakura, but she could still find enough to go on. She couldn't remember being this angry in her entire life. "You even humiliated me in front of my friends. Calling Naruto my ex in front of . . ."

"Lee?" It surprised her that Tsunade had so easily figured it out, though she didn't know why. She was the premier ninja in the village. "I should have guessed, honestly." The Hokage sighed, and leaned back in her chair again, of all things, smiling! "You're this pissed off over what I said around your crush? It makes sense, I suppose. You are a young woman, and I jumped to a very poor conclusion."

"I . . ." Sakura blushed, all her anger finally extinguished. Had she really been acting that childishly?

"It's alright. I guess I can understand something like that. I'll even forgive you for yelling at me," she said, as though she'd just spared her life. Sakura nodded, not entirely sure how to take the sudden change of heart. "Boy troubles . . ." the elder groaned under her breath, as she rose to leave, "happens to every girl." As she exited the room, she shut the door, leaving Sakura completely alone. She was glad, in a way. She had yelled at probably the only person in the village who understood her, had all but lost the boy she wanted so badly, and she'd even made him avoid her; she was going to cry.

**Upstate New York**

"Mail!" The call rang out through the halls like a bombshell, making most everyone within the school's halls burst forth from their rooms, the kitchen, and even outside. Kids of all ages swarmed the young woman holding the mass of envelopes and parcels, squishing her from all sides.

"Like, thank god it's a small school, right?" she moaned, giving up and tossing the mail into the air, letting it fall over the children surrounding her.

"Having fun, half-pint?" Kitty Pride looked up at the balcony, where Logan, gruff and underdressed as always, stood, sipping from an unmarked bottle.

"No!" she cried, finally giving into the masses. Closing her eyes, she focused her mind on the floor. Slowly, she slid down into the floorboards, passing through them as if they were air. It would have amazed anyone outside the school, but by now, they were all used to each others powers.

A few seconds after the descent, she rose again a few feet away, beyond the mass of huddled children, and turned back to Logan.

"Much better. When did you come back?" Almost a month ago, Logan, who was acting as the combat instructor at the time, decided to take a small vacation to Canada. He never said explicitly what he planned on doing, but the students had long since learned to be cautious when questioning him.

"Just got in," he replied. Running his hand through his long (though vertical) curly hair, he grinned, and started down the stair toward her. "Where's the Professor?" Kitty shrugged, nodding off to her left.

"Probably teaching his Psychics class. I think that's right now . . ." She trailed off, as a muffled _bamf_ rang through the room, and Kurt Wagner suddenly appeared beside them. His blue, fuzzy face was grinning widely.

"Kitty!" he hollered, grabbing her by the wrist. "You have to see this!" Before she could even glance at Logan, Kurt ported again, hauling her with him.

"What could it possibly be?" she shouted as they reached their destination. Fumbling to fix her hair, which was always trashed by the process, she didn't look up for a few seconds. "You know, I swear that smoke stays on my clothes! I like this shirt, too." Patting down her pink tank, she finally looked up.

"Do you like it?" he asked, pointing at a larger-than-life portrait of her. It was well done, with just the right proportions, and even her hair done up in a way which would flatter any woman. Something was sprawled across the bottom in beautiful script, but it was in German, and Kitty couldn't read it.

"Did you . . ." she couldn't finish the question. Her own giant visage standing before her was a bit much.

"Yeah," he admitted, "Do you like it?"

"Kurt . . ." she stammered, "You're kinda becoming, like, a stalker, you know that?" Kurt grinned, thinking it was a joke, but as she turned to him, he could see her face. She was obviously very disturbed by his painting, despite his best efforts at romanticism.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean . . ." he stepped forward, taking her by the shoulders.

"Maybe I should go," she said, trying to turn away.

"No! Please stay." Tightening his grip on her, he smiled softly. She, however, didn't see it as a good thing. Her eyes widening, she phased through his hands, and ran straight toward the wall closest to her.

"Stay away from me!" she screamed as she passed through the drywall and cement, out of his sight.

"Wait," he whispered in vain, pleading to his beloved. Alone now, he glanced up at her portrait, sitting there, taunting him. Her skin, which seemed so soft and pure even in the oil of the painting, is what he liked most about her, at least physically. He looked down at his own gloved hands. Sliding one of the gloves off, he stared with disgust at his own hand, gnarled and furry. At the end, a huge, blue mass of resin made up his clawed nail. He thought idly of the old Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast. Even 'true love' couldn't fix _him_, though.

"Kitty," he muttered, wrapping his three-fingered hands around his face, his tears beginning to mat down the hair on his cheeks.

**Gotham City**

"Rae . . ." Trevor pleaded for the hundredth time, "Please stop crying." His old friend sat in the same chair as when Dick had left, though it was almost a week later. "Please, tell me what's wrong? The shops going to collapse if you don't compose yourself a little." He knelt down before her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. Around him, her lack of control over her powers was shaking the walls and bookcases throughout the store.

"I . . . I'm the reason Dick . . . I hurt him, didn't I?" She looked up, finally, staring him in the eye, her face more pained than it had been in years.

"Because you didn't go with him?" Nodding slowly, she sobbed again.

"He was counting on me, and I abandoned him. Again!" She shouted the last word with an unexplained fury, her mind racing back years to the first time they had parted ways. That time, she'd been the one to walk out the door.

"No. You didn't abandon him. He came here asking us to risk our lives for people who don't even care. Star and BB died, _died_, working with him! It's dangerous being a hero! And what funeral did they get? Just us, putting them in normal graves by Terra's monument. You deserved to be normal for once." Rubbing her shoulder, he smiled, "You have your dream."

"Normal?" she asked calmly, standing and glancing around at the chattering bookshelves and window panes. "How have I ever been normal? I almost destroyed the world because my father's a demon!" Shouting now, she was glad she hadn't opened the doors today to customers. She didn't want to quiet down. "I can kill people with my mind! How the hell is that normal!?" Her tears had stopped, though the streaks down her cheeks were still there.

"He came asking us to do the impossible!"

"It wasn't impossible when we lived in the Tower! When we all laughed and lived together, gallivanting around, saving the world! We're heroes, Cyborg! This . . ." she pointed around, "This isn't us! At least not me! I'm Raven, I was a Teen Titan! I come from Azarath, and I want to protect this world that took me in! And I don't think it's you, either!" Her hand shot out, grasping his shirt by the cuff. Pulling it up violently, she could see his slimmed down, but still fully mechanical right arm.

"Hey!" he shouted, covering it again, "Maybe I don't want to go 'gallivanting' anymore, huh? I'm not a Titan anymore! You might not want to be live a normal life, but you always had the option! I'm just now getting back to not looking like a big metal monster!" Raven looked down, ashen faced.

"See?" she muttered, "I hurt you, too." Trevor glanced away, gritting his teeth.

"You wanted to go with him?" he asked, turning his back to her.

"Yeah," she answered, sitting again.

"Then why did you turn him down?"

"I don't know." She was crying again, outright, unconsciously knocking shelves on their sides. "I don't know."


	4. Departures

Well, they're off, ladies and gentlemen!! Wish them luck, because while they journey, I need to catch up on the writing for a few days. I hope you'll pardon a small delay in the next segment. Anyway, there's not much to this chapter, I know it's a bit dry, but it helps set up all the character relations later on. Oh, and a bit of RavenxDick at the end. Have a good weekend.

GEOGRAPHY: To understand where I'm putting Konoha (and the continent on which it sits, which I'll call Nin for lack of a better term), pull up google maps, draw a line straight south from the westernmost point in Mexico, and a line west from the southernmost point of Peru. Where they cross, that's where the small continent that the countries of Fire, Wind, Wave, etc lie. (In the southeast Pacific) Given the time it takes to travel from one country to another in the manga/show, I'm going to say it's about the size of Vermont. Very, very small.

NOTE: "Laura" is a character from X-men Evolution who later translated well into the X-men comics, as well as her own mini-series. Her original name is X-23.

NOTE: Yeah, I know that this isn't the official origin of Nightwing, but I don't care. I like it better.

**Chapter 4: Departures**

Xavier Institute

Kurt walked to Professor Xavier's door, sullen faced and still feeling unstable. He'd received the telepathic summons from him a few minutes before, and had ported up just seconds after. Still, though, he couldn't bring himself to open the door. Kitty had gone running to the Professor, surely, telling him of the incident. Kurt had immediately regretted his actions, but there was no way to take it back now. No doubt the Professor was sitting inside the office now, sensing Kurt's paranoia and regret, laughing at him.

"No," he muttered, resting his fingers on the doorknob, "that's not like him. He'll understand." Turning the knob slowly, he pushed open the door. Behind it lay a room not much larger than his dorm, though with infinitely more impressive furniture. A long, oaken desk stretched across most of the back wall, with just enough room on either side for the Professor to wheel his chair through. The two matching bookshelves were lined with thick, heavy tomes, and the entire floor was covered in freshly waxed wood.

"Professor?" Kurt asked, sticking just his head through the door, searching the room.

"Yes," came a deep, controlled voice, "Over here, Kurt." Walking into the room, Kurt could finally see him, sitting next to a small fireplace on the wall behind the door. "I believe we need to talk."

"Yeah," replied the boy, his eyes pointed straight down.

"I'm aware of what happened, as I'm sure you know." Kurt nodded. "Believe it or not, Kitty's not as mad as you seem to think. You merely . . . bothered her with that much attention all at once."

"I didn't mean to," he pleaded, "I love . . ."

"Yes," interrupted Xavier, "I don't doubt your feelings, Kurt. However, you need to learn a bit of tact. All the same, I think it best if you . . ." He searched for the right words, "Found a different place to go for a while."

"You're kicking me out?" Kurt was shocked. In all the time he'd been here, with all the mistakes big and small, noone had ever been _exiled_!

"Nothing so extreme," the Professor reassured him, "I've recently received a letter from an old friend of mine. He was looking for people of . . . 'exceptional talents' I believe was the phrase. He works very closely with the Justice League, the premier protector of the planet."

"And?" Kurt wasn't sure where this was going, but it still felt like exile.

"I'd like you to go, with a few other volunteers, and meet with these people. Perhaps they have a place for you to use your abilities to their fullest." Extending one arm, he handed Kurt an envelope. "Inside are three tickets to South Africa. If you leave soon, you'll arrive five days or so before the meeting is to take place."

"Who do the others go to? And why do we need to meet with these people?"

"Well," answered the Professor, grinning, "They're looking for people, mutants included, to join their ranks." Kurts eyes, so dark and dreary until now, lit up.

"Join the Justice League? Seriously? Who else is going?"

"I'm sending Jean and Laura with you." The little blue man reeled as the names sank in.

"Laura . . . you're sending X-23 with us? But isn't she . . . you know, unstable?" The Professor nodded.

"Yes, but that's why Jean is going. Jean will be acting as the leader, but she'll also be in charge of controlling Laura's temper." Kurt's shoulders fell. This was worse than exile! He had to spend weeks, maybe _months_, with two women he didn't really like. One with the personality of cardboard, and the other who would as quickly kill him as talk to him. Wonderful.

"When do we leave?" asked Kurt, sighing.

"Immediately."

The Village of Konoha

"Neji? You're sending Neji with us?" Sakura was shouting and slamming her hands onto Tsuande's desk. "He's the 'jounin' you wanted us to take along? What about Guy? Or Anko?" Her pink hair flung wildly before her face, she swept it away to stare down her master.

"They're busy. Besides, Neji is one of the strongest in the village," the Hokage reassured her, motioning at the white-clad ninja in the room with them. Neji stood taller than either of them, though just barely, with long, dark hair pulled behind his head in a tight pony tail.

"I know . . . but . . ." Not sure how to word it without offending him, Sakura leaned in to whisper to her boss. "I thought if we had Kakashi, we would have another long range ninja with us. We're all close combat. I don't think Neji is a good match for the team."

"Well," Tsunade folded her hands before her, "I'm glad you're thinking of these things. But either way, I think the team will be okay set up like this. After all, Kakashi is nothing to be trifled with, you know. He's more than capable of long range combat and reconnaissance." Sakura sighed, folding her arms over her chest.

"I guess." Neji nodded, looking at the Hokage.

"I agree with your assessment." His haughty attitude had always annoyed Sakura. "May I ask when we're to leave?" He stepped closer, to stand slightly in front of his new teammate. "And if I may, who is to be in charge of this mission?"

"Don't ask me leading questions, Neji," Tsunade smirked, "Kakashi is the squad leader. You're still a bit green for this kind of thing. Besides, Kakashi has dealt with the JL before." The young jounin was obviously disappointed, but Sakura rejoiced at the news. Obviously, he'd been getting a bit too comfortable in his new position, and the Hokage wasn't about to let his obstinate overconfidence jeopardize the mission.

"And we're to leave . . ." he pressed, pointedly ignoring the jibe.

"Tomorrow morning. It's a long voyage to Africa, and you'll need to leave from a port in the Country of the Wave. We have good relations with them, and they're willing to allow you passage on one of their trade vessels. It will get complicated after that, but Kakashi has had some experience with the outside world, and can get you to South Africa after you disembark in Peru."

"Peru?" Sakura had never heard of any of these lands. Suddenly, the world seemed much bigger than it had yesterday.

"One of the countries Outside. You know we live on the continent Nin, surrounded by water. In the scale of the world, it's actually very small. This is the only reason we have never been invaded by one of the larger continents Outside. We've been able to remain hidden from most of the world, able to retain our own culture and abilities. Outside, though, most of the world is different. Most have lost their ability to commune with Chakra, but have gained technology far greater than we could ever hope to obtain on our own. We're lucky, though, that a few Outside know of us. Televisions, refrigerators, computers, they all come from Outside."

"Oh . . ." Sakura was amazed, she'd never even thought about it before. "But if they've lost their Chakra . . ."

"Oh, they didn't lose their Chakra, they just can't control it the way we do. That's why we need to _stay_ hidden. Many would want the abilities we have." Sakura nodded, though she still didn't completely understand.

"Why haven't I ever heard this before? It seems kind of . . . important." Tsunade laughed, shrugging.

"Well, you're curious now, right? Excited about going Outside?" Sakura nodded again. "That's why. It would be bad if we sent too many people there. Worse if we told everyone, and didn't send any at all. We don't want the rest of the world to know too much about us."

"I suppose," the young woman said.

"Good. Now, I believe Kakashi and Lee are already set to go, I sent Shizune to inform them awhile ago. They should be at the gate. Kakashi has his instructions, and you yours. Go, and good luck." Standing to bow, Tsunade grinned at them. They were in for a treat. Noone saw the outside world anymore.

Outside Gotham

Dick panted; the new suit was heavier than he expected, but easy to move in. Reaching into the utility belt, he drew out a small metal plate, shaped like a hawk, the same as the large emblem on his chest. Looking around, and seeing nothing but trees, he whipped the razor-sharp bird at a trunk. He smiled as it sunk almost two inches into the wood. Quickly slipping three more out of the same pocket, he flung them in quick succession, each landing within a foot of the first, at thirty paces.

"Not bad," he said quietly to himself, moving up to retrieve them. Plucking each from the wood, he sighed. He'd gotten the invitation almost a month ago now, which meant that his time was running short. He had less than a week to get to South Africa. Not that it would be hard, he just wished that he had a little more time to train. And someone to train with. His mind kept going back to Raven's little shop in Metropolis, and how he'd caused them so much trouble.

"Damn," he grunted, throwing his fist into the tree.

"Doesn't that hurt?" He hadn't expected the voice, or even heard anyone approaching. Which meant it could only be one person.

"Came to see me off, Raven?" Turning slowly, he saw as she emerged from her portal of dark energy, and stepped onto the soft earth of the woods. Her civilian clothes were gone, replaced by a long, black, hooded robe. Underneath, he could just see flat, black leggings, tucked into military style boots, with a black half-shirt which left her midriff bare, but covered her arms entirely.

"No," she replied, shaking her head, "I came to ask you something." Walking toward him, she kept her eyes on the ground. As she finally came face to face with him, she looked up, but kept quiet. Dick didn't move, but waited, patiently. After almost a minute, she looked away.

"Why, Robin?" Dick flinched at the name, but didn't say anything. "That's who you are, you know. Back to the super-detective I used to know. You said it was all over and done, that we should all go home and give up. You said it, but now . . ." She paused for a moment, willing herself to regain her composure. "Why do you want to go back so badly? And . . ." Her eyes met his again, but without the determination she'd always had. They were almost desperate now. "Why do I want to go with you so badly?"

"Raven . . ." Dick wasn't sure what to say. He was happy, of course, that she wanted to go with him, but at the same time, he was devastated by just the look on her face. Reaching out, he placed a hand on either of her shoulders. "I don't know. I don't know why I need to go, or why you want to come. But I do know that I am going, because it's calling to me like . . . like instinct."

"The bird migrating back home?" Raven mused, unable to keep the one-liner to herself.

"Yeah, but a bigger bird," he said, squeezing her shoulders and laughing softly. "If you do want to come, I'm more than happy to have you."

"I don't want to, Dick," Raven smiled, "I need to. You've always been the leader. Where you go, I follow." Her hand, almost of its own volition, reached up, and began to trace the large metal bird emblazoned on his chest. "Not a robin," she muttered, though Dick couldn't tell if she was disappointed or not.

"No. A hawk. I'm not a little boy anymore, and I can't be a little bird anymore, either." Raven nodded, looking up at him. His mask was the same, but he looked so much stronger, older. He'd cut his hair again, she noticed, short, like it used to be, but combed straight back. Even so, he wasn't a kid anymore, and it showed.

"What do I call you, then? Dick seems to be a bad idea." Laughing a little, he shrugged.

"I guess you're right. I'm not sure though. I want something intimidating, but still me. You have no idea how difficult it was to get criminals to fear the name 'Robin.'" Raven grinned, still pressing one finger against his chest.

"Not a birdie then? How about . . . Nightwing?" Dick looked down at her, quizzically.

"Why Nightwing?" he asked.

"No idea. Just sounds cool." She smiled wider, "Besides, I think Nightwing and Raven sounds like a good team." He nodded, smiling again.

"I like it," he said.

"Thought you would."

"One more think I owe you, then," he laughed, "Along with saving my life, more than once!" Raven, though, didn't laugh.

"You don't owe me anything," she said calmly, looking up at him, "You gave me my first real home. You gave me friends. You kept me from destroying the world, and even saved my life in the process. You . . . you don't owe me anything." Even in her own mind, powerful and well-mapped as it was, she wasn't sure why she kissed him right then. It wasn't much, she just wrapped her arms around his chest, and pecked him lightly on the lips, like a thankful little girl might. But it was still so unexpected that both of them leapt backward afterward. Neither were able to speak for over a minute, but eventually, Raven had to say something.

"I . . . I'm sorry," she said, looking away, and blushing heavily, "I didn't mean to . . ." Unable to actually say it, she trailed off.

"Don't apologize," Dick said, stepping forward, "I'm not sure . . . I'm not sure what to make of it, really. I never though that you would . . . feel . . . like . . ." He, too, seemed unable to complete a coherent sentence. Fearing a permanent awkwardness, which would be just unbearable, he pressed on. "I didn't know you felt like that," he said firmly.

"Neither did I," Raven replied, "I just sort of . . . did it on impulse. But, I liked it."

"So did I." Even he was surprised when it came out of his mouth, but it was true, so he let it stand. "I liked it a lot." They stood there, quietly watching each other for quite a while, until Dick's belt began to beep.

"What's that?" Raven asked, thanking every deity she could think of for the break in the silence.

"My alarm. The plane leaves in an hour. Our plane." He smiled, "I hope you brought a change of clothes. These might be a bit conspicuous on a civilian flight."

"We're leaving already?"

"We have to. We only have three days, and it'll take a while to get to the meeting place."

"One second," she said, closing her eyes. Most people would have been terrified, as the dark energy swarmed around Raven's body, engulfing her entirely in endless black, but Dick was used to it by now. It only took a few minutes, and soon, the portal returned, delivering with it Raven, dressed in normal clothes again, and carrying a suitcase.

"You were ready to go before you ever got here," he observed, smiling.

"I was always going to come," she admitted.


	5. Arrivals

NOTE: I know I said Kurt and the others would arrive 5 days or so before the others, but . . . screw that, this works better. That's what happens when you right the first four chapters then stop. I'll change the other doc later, but for now, just assume they ran into a giant delay.

NOTE: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAPPENS IN THIS CHAPTER.

Just kidding. But the first bit's a little dry, I know. But they had to get there somehow, right?

NOTE: I'm lazy. I'm tempted to do the translations, but my Japanese is rusty and I don't feel like it. So . . . the world has developed to a point where everyone speaks the same language. Tada! Problem solved! So . . No _Konoha Senpuu._ It's "Konoha Whirlwind" here, and all those other techniques. I'm not messing with the Japanese today.

NOTE: Don't get pissed at the ending of this chapter. It's a crossover, and I mean it in the strictest sense. The Titans are not the main characters. They're _some of them_. I'm tired of the "you don't spend enough time on Raexrob" stuff. The only reason it's in titans and not anything else is because Nightwing was the first character I put in it. It was pretty much random. Now, enjoy.

**Chapter 5: Arrivals**

Cape Town, South Africa

Sakura yawned and stretched as she and the others walked out of the airport. It really was a magnificent place, filled with so many people, but the whole ordeal was very tiring. The boat ride had been a week-long bore, but the plane! She'd never forget first seeing it for the first time, so large and bright. Security was incredibly tight, and at one point, Kakashi actually had to take all their shuriken and headbands and sneak into the cargo hold to hide them so the metal detectors wouldn't catch them. (He went to retrieve them once they'd landed, of course.) When they did manage to get on, though, she thought it would just be like a larger version of the horseless carriages (or 'cars' as Kakashi insisted they call them) they had seen when the first arrived. But no, when they had taken off . . . it was incredible. Sakura couldn't help but grin constantly after _that_ experience.

Behind her, Kakashi stood quietly, reading Jiraiya's newest novel, while Lee supported Neji on his shoulder. The latter had not taken to flying with as much gusto or curiosity as the others, and had spent the entire seven hour flight clutching his knees in terror. As it turned out, having the byakugan made him keenly aware of just how far off the ground they were. While Lee and Sakura had spent their time in the air looking out the windows, he'd refused to even open his eyes after the first five minutes.

"Sakura," Kakashi waved, pointing in the direction opposite her. Nodding, she started back toward him. She couldn't help but giggle at his new clothes. Deciding that an anti-shrapnel vest may attract too much attention on a plane, he'd tossed his old clothing in a knapsack and purchased long, white shorts and a blue Hawaiian shirt. Much to her disappointment, he'd replaced his mask with sunglasses and an anti-contagion mask, keeping his face covered even now.

Seeing the problems with their outfits as well, Kakashi decided to buy Sakura, Lee, and Neji all new clothes as well. Neji got off lucky; Kakashi had gotten him a plain, white suit. But poor Lee . . . he'd received a green track suit that looked, at least to Sakura, completely ridiculous. Even people around the airports and on the plane had stared at him. He, on the other hand, had loved the choice. Noone was surprised.

Sakura didn't mind the black skirt and soft pink tank-top that Kakashi had bought for her, but given the length of the skirt and cut of the shirt, she still got the distinct impression that he was a bit of a pervert. But she felt it looked decent on her, so she kept her mouth shut. Besides, Lee didn't mind it, she noticed, and that was a plus.

"Lee!" she yelled, running up behind him, and grabbing his arm. She was determined to make up the Naruto-misunderstanding to him. "Isn't this place amazing?" They were finally outside, with the strong, hot sunlight shining down on them.

"Yes!" Lee screamed, almost sending the girl reeling, "It's not as big as Metropolis, but it's still so incredible!" He turned his head, looking to her and smiling. Sakura immediately looked away, blushing lightly, but didn't remove her arm.

Behind them, Neji watched and grumbled. "Kakashi," he asked, looking over to the other jounin, "Where are we headed now?"

"Well, this is Cape Town, so it's just outside this city. We go about a mile down the coast until we see the meeting grounds." Neji nodded, still refusing to look forward at Lee and Sakura, who were idly chatting about nothing. It was pathetic.

"Fine. We should get there quickly, then. I'd like to check it out first."

"We're a bit late for that," Kakashi laughed, nodding his head forward. Sakura and Lee had stopped cold behind a large crowd, each person very obviously invited by the Justice League.

"We're supposed to gather intelligence on _all_ of them . . ." Neji muttered in disbelief.

"No. Just the ones that get accepted," Kakashi corrected, leading them around the crowd via a side street.

"This is going to be hard, isn't it?" asked Sakura, jumping to see over the veritable see of people.

"So what do we do if _we_ get accepted, is what I want to know." It was Lee who spoke up, staring at them. "I'm not sure if I don't want to _accept_ Supergirl's offer or not." Noone had an answer, so they wandered in silence until they reached the edge of the city.

"Well, we take care of our mission, which means we need to do our best to impress them," he said, "After that . . . it's your decision."

Namib Desert, South Africa

"Laura?" Jean Grey asked, prodding the small, well-tanned girl in the leg, "We've landed. You need to get up now." Laura didn't stir, but she was awake enough to understand.

"Fine," she grumbled, "In a minute."

"Let her go, Jean," Kurt piped up from behind them, "You know how stubborn she is. She'll get up faster the less you bug her." Laura grumbled a little more, but sat up.

"Shut up, furball." Fuming, she shot to her feet, staring him down, "I don't need you talking about me like I can't hear you." Kurt backed into his own seat, getting as much of his body onto is as possible.

"Hey! Sorry, okay?" he pandered, terrified, "Just don't go all pointy on me!" Laura visibly calmed down, and turned her back to him. To his surprise, she didn't hit him. She didn't even threaten to turn off the holographic watch which kept his blue, fuzzy skin well hidden behind a wall of photonic illusion.

"Guys, can we please act civiliz . . ."

"I'm sorry, you shouldn't be," Laura cut her off, "I overreacted." Kurt looked over at Jean, wondering if she'd done anything to the girl's head, but the eldest mutant shrugged. "Just . . ."

"It's okay . . ." Kurt said cautiously, trying to make sure she stayed calm. He stood up, too, and patted her lightly on the back. She didn't really like it, but she didn't do anything about it. She didn't want to get worked up again.

"We should go now, right?" she asked Jean, changing the subject. Their leader nodded, getting out into the aisle.

"Yeah. We need to get down to the coast before noon, I think," she said, "There's going to be a lot of people, so stay close, alright?" The others nodded.

As they disembarked the plane, all three immediately noticed the intense heat, especially because they had landed the X-Jet in a clearing miles into the desert. Kurt envied the girls, who could easily don light clothing, as they had done, while he was destined to forever walk about in shaggy fur. He glanced down at Laura's, very uncharacteristic, jean shorts and growled. Her small, tan tank didn't help, either. Jean wasn't much better, in a long blue sarong and matching t-shirt.

It took almost an hour to reach the coast, and another three walking down it until they could see the huge mass of people on the beach, two miles down the coastline, with a small forest in the middle.. Kurt sat down hard, staring at what had to be over three hundred people as they milled around on the beach.

"You've got to be kidding me!" he shouted, lying down, "There's no way we'll make it in! Just look at all of them!" Jean sat beside him, shaking her head.

"There are a lot of people who could use a chance like this," she said, "And the world needs the best. So don't go thinking you can back out, Nightcrawler. You either, Laura." Looking back at the younger girl, Jean smiled, "You both are here because the Professor thought we could do some good for the world, and make a better name for mutants in the process, right? Well, then we have to do what we can." The others nodded; they knew this already.

"I was just complaining, Jean," Kurt explained, "You don't have to go into instructor mode every time I open my mouth, you know." Shrugging, he sat up again. Behind him, he could heard the slightest giggle from Laura. "See?" he laughed, "She agrees! And you owe me five, I told you she _can_ laugh." Looking back at her, he smiled.

"Well, then," Jean sighed, obviously put off by the jibe, "shall we continue?" Standing again, she pointed down toward the woods, "Just a little bit further." Kurt and Laura nodded, getting to their feet. As they walked down into the wood, they found themselves caught in an awkward silence.

Kurt didn't mind, really, he found himself staring at the tall, leafy trees in awe. He didn't get much of a chance to see nature that often, so he decided he'd enjoy it while he could. He barely noticed that he had veered from the girls, but he didn't really care. He could just port up to them. It was the trees, and the birds constantly singing in them, that had his attention. He was so preoccupied, in fact, that he didn't see the young, pink-haired girl until he bumped into her.

"Sorry!" he said, jumping backward, "I didn't see you there!" He noticed right away that she was cute, but after living in a house with Kitty and Rouge, he didn't much care. She was shorter than he was, but her slim, long limbs made her seem much taller. "Forgive me?"

"It's fine," she reassured him, "Are you here for the Justice League?" Nodding, she smirked. "Me too. I'm Sakura." She offered a hand, which Kurt readily accepted.

"Nightcrawler," Kurt responded, deciding that he should start using his codename.

"It's nice to meet you," she nodded, smiling, "Are you alone?"

"Huh? No, I'm with . . ." Nightcrawler turned around quickly, suddenly remembering he had fallen behind the others. "I guess I am. My friends seem to have gone on without me." Sakura laughed, pointing over her shoulder.

"That's okay. My friends are down on the path, so I'm alone too." She grinned, looking up at the trees. "Beautiful, aren't they?" Nightcrawler nodded.

"I've been looking. Yeah, they are."

"You're slow, furball." It was Laura, coming up from behind them. "Jean's all worried now, you know. And I don't want to deal with it. Who's the girl?" Gruff as always, she pointed at Sakura, who was smiling at her.

"Sakura," he answered, "And that's . . ." He couldn't really figure out what to call her, so he just shrugged.

"X-23," she offered, giving her old experiment number.

"Odd name . . ." Sakura observed, raising an eyebrow.

"Odd girl," Kurt admitted, shrugging again.

"Hey, shut up, furball!" Walking up to him quickly, she grabbed him by the wrist. "Want me to show Pinkie here your fuzzy little face?" Sakura blinked, confused.

"His face isn't fuzzy . . ."

"Oh yeah?" X-23 punched at the buttons on his watch, not sure which did the trick, until the hologram finally dispersed, revealing Nightcrawler's blue, hairy skin.

"Hey!" His eyes shot over at Sakura, who was backing away slowly, eyes wide with fright. "It's okay, really!"

"Oh, that's not all, Pinkie!" shot Laura, slowly extending the metal claws in her left hand, while draping it over Kurt's shoulder.

"You're . . . monsters . . ." She had the kunai flying through the air before she knew it. The small metal spade slashed across Laura's face, opening a long, bloody gash on her cheek. But for all that, Laura didn't scream, or even move. Instead, her eyes locked onto Sakura's, searing, but still ice cold.

"Monsters?" she repeated, growling, "Little bitch. What do you know?" Her voice was rising quickly, as she separated herself from Nightcrawler, "I hate that word! I'm not a monster!" Suddenly in a dead sprint toward Sakura, she let out a wild, feral scream that echoed seemingly forever. Both claws drawn on both hands, she slashed wildly at the young ninja. Sakura leapt backward, kicking upward into Laura's face as she flew. The mutant reeled backward, but not for long. She spun, regaining control of herself, and launched a much more focused assault on Sakura.

"Stop!" Kurt screamed, but to no avail. Sakura launched two shuriken toward Laura, but she easily dodged to her left, and slashed out at Sakura's stomach. Managing to catch the hand before she was cut, Sakura spun her around, flinging X-23 upward.

"Strong," Laura noted, extending the claws in her feet to catch onto the nearest branch. Stabilizing herself, she sat on the branch, staring down at her prey.

"You have no idea, bitch," screamed Sakura, looking up at her. Reaching into her pouch, she retrieved her fighting gloves, and slid them onto her hands.

"Really, quit fighting!" Kurt screamed again. Sakura, suddenly remembering the second 'monster, bolted toward him, landing a powerful jab into his stomach. Clutching the point of impact, he collapsed onto the ground. Then, Sakura ran straight at the trunk of the tree X-23 was sitting on.

"What, you climb trees, too?" Laura grunted, trying desperately to formulate a strategy. Sakura didn't answer in words, but rather screamed loudly, thrusting her fist into the wood of the tree.

"Holy . . ." Laura shouted, as the base of the tree exploded, and she lost her balance on the branch. Leaping into the next tree, she watched as it fell to the ground, crushing many small bushes underneath. "Really strong."

"Think I'm done?" Sakura ran at the tree she sat in now, and again, splintered the trunk with a single punch. This time, Laura allowed herself to land in the dirt, thinking it better to not destroy the forest completely, and charged at the strange young woman. Aiming each slash and thrust carefully, she threw her claws at her again, each time coming closer and closer to her flesh.

_She's good,_ Sakura though, dodging as quickly as possible, but still losing ground, _Too fast._ Leaping backward, she whipped a kunai at her assailant. Unable to block, X-23 grunted as it sank into her shoulder, but showed no other response. Pausing for a second to pull it out, she quickly resumed her relentless attempts to cut her opponent to ribbons. Soon, her wound began healing, so even that didn't slow her down.

Sakura dodged again, but slammed her back into a tree. _Damn!_ she thought as the bladed hands came in quickly. She screamed as the two claws on X-23's left hand penetrated deep into her right shoulder, pinning her to the tree.

"I win," said Laura, grinning. Tracing her right hand over Sakura's neck, she growled. "I'd have no real problem killing you, you know." Sakura couldn't speak, the pain was too much. All she could do was grit her teeth and groan. "Too bad I'm not more of a sadist, I would really enjoy this," Laura continued, "but I guess . . ."

"Konoha Whirlwind!" Lee's kick landed square on X-23's ribcage, sending her flying into the nearest tree. Unfortunately, this meant it also ripped her claws forcefully from Sakura's shoulder, making her scream again in pain. "Sakura-san!" he yelled, grasping her by the shoulders, "are you alright?" Sakuran nodded, placing one hand over the wound. Slowly, it began to glow a deep green, the medical jutsu taking effect.

"I'll be fine. Just give me a minute to heal it. Watch out, she's really good." As though to prove the point, they turned to see Laura standing again, in front of the splintered tree she had flown into.

"I'll take care of it," Lee assured her, standing. Placing his legs together, he raised a single hand toward his opponent. "I don't know who you are, or why you want to hurt Sakura-san, but I'll stop you! Behold the fire of youth!"

"You know, I smelled you a mile away," Laura admitted, "I didn't react because I didn't think you'd actually do something that _stupid_ around your friend!" Cursing herself, she extended her claws again, and ran at him. Lee sprinted forward as well, so fast she could barely see him. Sakura could only watch as the two exchanged powerful, incredibly fast blows and swipes. Lee would block a pair of blades from her hand only to find a clawed foot shooting up at him from below. Laura would swing accurately and swiftly, only to find that her opposition was suddenly behind her. Somehow, they managed to go on for over three minutes without either landing a single blow. The only reason they stopped at all was the small, but quickly expanding black sphere between them.

"I told you we were late," Nightwing muttered, as Raven trapped both combatants in a field of dark energy.

"Shut up, I need to concentrate," she snapped.

"Fine," he said, turning back to the fighters, "Now, care to tell me why the blue guy is unconscious, the girl over there is bleeding, and . . . oh yeah, you two are trying to kill each other?" Leaning casually against the nearest tree, he smirked.

"A misunderstanding, I think," interrupted Jean, apparently also deciding that it was safe to appear. Flying slowly over to Kurt, she sighed, shaking her head. Nightwing looked up at her, and gaped. Long, red hair blew in the soft wind, along the face he'd known for years. Deep, emerald eyes scanned the battlefield, cautious and deliberate, but still caring for her comrades. It was _her._ Raven apparently also noticed, because she suddenly dropped the field around Laura and Lee, who decided to watch instead of fight. Neither Raven nor Nightwing spoke; both stared at Jean, who finally turned to them, looking quizzically at their astounded faces.

"What?" she asked apprehensively. Raven locked eyes with her, unsure, but still amazed.

"Starfire?"


	6. Sorrows and Secrets

NOTE: Sorry for the delay, but expect it from now on. I'm afraid that now I'm back to school, and don't have time to indulge myself with this type of stuff. But here it is, Chapter Six: Sorrows And Secrets.

**Chapter 6: Sorrows And Secrets**

"Starfire?" Jean wasn't sure how to react. The young man in black was staring at her, his friend as well, even though she was holding Laura and the bob-haired boy in her energy field. Kurt was on the ground, just now beginning to get up again, and the pink haired girl was up again, blade in hand, eyeing him carefully.

"Starfire?" Raven shouted again, "How . . ."

"Who?" asked Jean, confused, "My name is Jean! Who are you? And why are you trying to hurt my friends?" Floating down to the ground, she walked over to Kurt, helping him to his feet. Raven seemed crestfallen, but Nightwing kept staring, transfixed on Jean's face.

"I'm not hurting them, just keeping them apart," Raven clarified, releasing her hold on Lee and Laura. "Can you two calm down?" she asked the two, who both nodded, but kept a wary eye on each other. Turning her eyes back to Jean, though, she seemed confused.

"You're . . . not Star?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Nightwing turned to her, amazed.

"Of course she is! Look at her!" Incredulously, he tossed his hand in the air, pointing at her. "Where have you been!? How did you . . . I saw you!" he screamed, but not unhappily. Running straight at her, he smiled. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you!"

Shocked, Jean flew backwards quickly, until she was several dozen feet in the air. "I don't know who you're talking about, but it's not me!" she yelled, growing more and more bothered by him.

"What are you talking about!?" he shouted, "I know you!" Looking over his shoulder, he called to his friend. "Raven! Tell her!" Raven, though, shook her head.

"I don't know what's going on, Nightwing, but we have bigger things to deal with," she nodded toward Lee and Laura, who had started to circle each other again, and Sakura, who was still staring at Kurt.

"But . . ." Nightwing said, turning back to Jean. He was cut off, though, when came face-to-face with a large Hawaiian shirt. "When did . . ." he muttered, leaping backward, his staff already in hand.

"Whoa," Kakashi raised his hands, "Calm down. We're here for the same reason you are." He pointed over at Lee and Laura, who now hand Neji standing between them, readying his Divination Whirl. "Sakura, Lee, disengage!" Almost instantly, all three of his teammates were by his side again, all standing passively, except for Sakura, who just stared up at him.

"But . . . they're . . ."

"There are more things in the world than any one person can understand," Kakashi cut her off, "You should understand that just because you've never seen something before doesn't mean that you have to attack it." Turning his eyes to Kurt and Laura, he waved. "I hope you'll forgive them. They've never been this far from home before." Neither of the mutants said anything.

"It's fine," said Jean, apparently on their behalf, "We're used to people thinking we're freaks." While her tone wasn't really accepting of the apology, she made a concerted effort to not be too mad at them.

"Hmph," Laura snorted, looking up at her. _Like I'm about to forgive that little bitch_, she thought, shifting her eyes to Sakura. _I'll show you a monster someday, little girl._ Sakura, though, was staring at her own feet.

"Well?" Kakashi muttered, nudging her gently, "Don't you think you should apologize?" Sakura looked up, looking at all the people staring at her, and blushed.

"I . . ." she started, as her eyes came upon Kurt and Laura again, "I'm sorry. I caused all this. Please forgive me." Though not completely satisfied, the students of Xavier each nodded. It was the best they could hope for.

"Then," said Kakashi, patting her on the back, "I think we should go. I wish you all the best in the trials." Waving kindly, he lead his companions into the trees.

"They were . . . strange," Kurt observed, rubbing his stomach, "I didn't think she'd hit me _that_ hard."

"I know," said Laura, "That guy wasn't a pushover either."

"Guys!" Jean called from above, "Can you give me a little help here?" Looking up, they saw her point to Nightwing and Raven.

"You're from Tamaran!" called the boy desperately. Behind him, Raven's eyes were jumping back and forth between him and Jean.

"No! I'm from New York!" Jean shot back, growing almost angry.

"But you were born . . ."

"Hold it!" Kurt called, rushing over to Nightwing. Calmly placing his hands on his shoulders, he shook his head. "She was born in New York, man. I've known her for two years, and the Professor has known her way longer!"

"Nightwing . . ." It was Raven, quietly placing her hand on his back, "I think they're telling the truth. Starfire is . . ."

"But what about Terra!?" Nightwing whirled around, facing down his companion, "Beast Boy said he found her after we thought she was gone! And Slade . . . I mean, he came back as a demon, but he _came back_!"

"I . . ." She wasn't sure what to say. Beast Boy _had_ seen Terra, but noone knew if it was really her or not. And Slade had definitely come back, but was that a normal thing, or something only Trigon could do?

"See? It has to be her!"

"No!" Jean screamed, both verbally and into everyone's heads, "I know who I am! I'm Jean Grey, I wasn't born in whatever country you're talking about, and I don't know you!" It was clear how freaked out she was, making even Nightwing keep his silence. "Leave me alone!" Flitting between the trees, she flew away quickly, and was soon out of sight.

"Jean!" Laura called after her, jogging in the direction she'd gone. Turning back, she looked at Kurt. "Let's go, furball!" Kurt released his grip on Nightwing, and smiled.

"Pleasure to meet you!" he yelled, porting away in a flurry of blue smoke.

"Wait!" Nightwing called, swiping his hands through the smoke. "I need to ask you . . ."

"They're gone," Raven assured him, "They can't here you."

"But . . . That was Starfire." Giving a low, feral roar, he thrust his hand into the dirt. "I know it." Raven backed away; she couldn't look at him.

"We should go," she tried, "They'll be starting soon."

"Go ahead," he grunted, "I'll catch up."

"Fine!" Raven whispered. Walking away slowly and without a word, she brushed her fingers against her lips, where they'd touched his not twenty-four hours ago. "Liar . . ."

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The bus finally stopped, and as the dust settled, the door opened. _This is a mistake,_ he thought as he rose to his feet. Cautiously, almost reluctantly, he moved toward the front of the vehicle.

"Hey, buddy, move it!" said someone behind him. It was a very short man, with long, but upright, hair, a red t-shirt, and white slacks. "You hear me? Let's go!" Behind him, a much taller, and much more oddly dressed man, placed his hand on the shorter one's shoulder.

"Calm down Krillin," he said, looking up. "Don't mind him, he's just a bit edgy because his wife made him come to this. I'm Yamcha. You're . . ."

"Cyborg," said Victor, smiling, "It's nice to meet you."

"Yeah, yeah," Krillin said, motioning toward the door, "But can you get off already?" Looking up at Yamcha, he raised an eyebrow. "I'm still not sure why we had to take the bus anyway . . . We're in a town full of superheroes, after all."

"But we weren't when we got on, were we?" Yamcha answered, grinning, "And what are you complaining about anyway? It's like an hour of straight flying to get here from East City. You'd be squawking then, too."

"Whatever," Krillin muttered, stepping outside behind Cyborg.

"So you two are here for the Justice League, too?" Victor asked.

"Yeah," Yamcha answered, "Well . . ." He pointed down at Krillin, laughing. "His wife made him come." Cyborg chuckled, patting Krillin on the back.

"It's okay, man. Every married man knows that feeling." Krillin, despite himself, actually began to smile as he looked up.

"I know. But I wanted to come anyway, I haven't been in a good match since the last World Martial Arts Tournament." Hopping into the air, and (much to Victor's surprise) staying there, he beckoned for Yamcha to join him. "We'll see you down at the beach!" he called, as they dashed off through the sky.

"Man . . ." Victor muttered, not for the first time, "My job would be so much easier if I could fly."

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"Is everyone alright?" asked Lee, as he brushed off the dirt and dried blood from his pants. One by one, each of the ninjas nodded.

"Who were those people?" asked Sakura, still slightly stunned by the entire incident. "The one guy was _blue_, and that girl . . ."

"Yes," Lee interrupted, "They were certainly strange, but we can beat them!" Smiling wide at her, he gave her a thumbs up.

"No," Kakashi muttered, already flipping through his book, "We can't beat them. Or rather, we won't. Remember, Lee, they're here for the same reasons you are. They're not out to hurt anyone."

"But Kakashi-sensei! They attacked Sakura!" To prove his point, he pointed to the young woman's torn shirt.

"Because she accosted them," responded the jounin, glaring at his young charges. "We are all here for the same thing. The Justice League has requested _all_ of us to be here, them included. Now whatever misunderstanding caused that little fiasco, I don't what it to happen again!" One by one, each of the team members nodded. Sakura and Lee, each sullen-faced, took a short bow toward their leader. Kakashi, resigning himself to the fact that he was, indeed, with children, merely waved it off.

"It's alright. We'll just make a point of apologizing later. Right now we need to focus on the mission." His eyes focusing on each of them, so intensely that noone could ever mistake his seriousness, he began so speak very quietly. "Lee, I want you and Neji to sweep around to the eastern end of the meeting grounds, and make sure you note anyone we already know. I don't want any surprises like old 'friends' popping up." The boys nodded, each grinning. The mission was really getting interesting now. "Sakura and I will do the same for the western area. We'll meet up whenever we get the chance." Reaching into his shirt, he removed a small packet from an unseen pocket, and proceeded to open it, and showing the few photographs inside to his companions. "These are definitely something you should look for."

Each photograph was of a symbol. The first, a red circle outlined by steel, with a metallic X in the middle, was marked 'X-men.' A second was comprised of four squiggly lines, each moving downward. None of the ninja could mistake the symbol of the Country of the Mist. Yet another was one none of them had ever seen, a T, stylistically drawn to look like an arrow. It had "Themyscira" scribed just underneath. A small, black square, donned with golden trim, sat alone in the center of the last photo. There was no subtitle.

"What are they?" asked Lee, studying them carefully. Kakashi sighed.

"They're the insignia's of the four most important groups here. The X-men, the Mist shinobi, and the Themysciran Amazons aren't necessarily hostile, but we need to keep our eyes open for anyone who would work against this sort of globally unifying effort. Our mission here is strictly observation, but if we need to, we have standing orders to protect the peace that the Justice League represents." All three younger members shot up at this, and nodded slowly.

"But who does the last symbol represent?" It was Lee again, Kakashi noted. He was as good as usual; goofy, but he could keep his mind on the mission.

"We're not sure. Konoha has sent other missions Outside, and each time, we encountered people with this sign." Again, Lee was nodding, holding the photo of the square.

"That's right," he muttered, "I didn't think much of it; I didn't know much about their fashion and figured it might just be something they wore. But I definitely remember seeing this on several people during my stay." Shaking his head, he punched the ground. "I should have noticed that . . ."

"Don't worry about it, Lee," Sakura reassured him. "Noone would have."

"Agreed," said Kakashi, "as it stands, though, make sure you note if you see any of these. We've already made contact with one of the groups."

"We did? When?" Sakura asked, confused.

"A few minutes ago," Neji burst in, "If you'd payed more attention, and hadn't gotten so flustered by that girl, you'd have noticed the X on the blue guys belt." Sakura blushed violently, but kept silent.

"Neji," Kakashi interrupted, "Move out. We don't have much time to sit and talk. Just remember: Observation unless you absolutely need to fight." The second Jounin nodded, and disappeared in a flash, followed quickly by Lee. Finally alone, Kakashi turned to Sakura. "Let's go."


End file.
